Self-opening package



Nov. 3, 1959 J. A. DlENNER 2,911,129

SELF-OPENING PACKAGE Filed Dec. 23, 1957 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Nov. 3, 1959 .1. A. DIENNER SELF-OPENING PACKAGE INYENTOR. J/ZM @flwnvzey 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW Filed Dec. 23, 1957 such a container under thelcireumstances of use;

the detachable the adjacent attached sidewall. The preferred embodiment of the invention" comprises 2 911,129 I SELF-OPENING PACKAGE'Y'; John A. Di'e nnenEvanston', in.

Application December 2?; 1957, SerihiNo. 70 5 5 whims or 222-83 a particularly, it is concerned withthe featuresof opening a container, such as a box or'a can; whichisiclosed and may; also be sealed. In addition to providing meansi-for opening the box, can, or the like, my 'vention provides apouring spout for thecontents of; the ontainer. There are many package's involving containers which: arefre quired to be closed or even-sealed againstgescapeofathe contents. Frequently, the user finds it'difhcult to open M crys-' package containers involving contents in; granul tal, pulverulent or liquid or the like for-rrrywo a, pouring spout. It is old to provide canswtih a permanent or" aremovable pouring spoun bu t such containers with attached pouring spouts generally; do not" Stacksatisfactorily, and if the. pouring spout device is detachable,

deformed.

. My inventionaims to satisfy the requirement for an ever present but unobtrusive opening-mean's'for the container' and likewise for an unobtrusive; spout; forming- .means, preferably employed also as the opening-means.

According to the present inventionfa container having sidewalls and top and {bottom wallsis. proyidedwith an opening bar-disposed inside the container.longitudinally V alonga sidewall in parallel relation therewith, and having its lower end..disposed in contact .or substantially incon- United States Patent ICQ of a cross section like an angle bar is advantageous for this purpose. l 7

The contents of-the box provide inertia which is useinproducing'movement of the walls'of the major part of the box when the box is struck against a table top to produce the opening in the top.

' The sidewalls of the box at the lower end where the box engages the' tables top are crumpled sufficiently to makethesidewalls shorter than the opening bar where by'i-thebai' isthrust through the mpiwsu;

' -The bar-may beso constructed that 'aiter-producingthe v desired opening it may serve as a'pouring spout. After each such use the bar may be pushed back, and the flap v iofi the top wall produced, by such cut or opening operainventionrelatesto the art, of packaging. More tion pushed back to close the opening;

package o-fjpourable material which may be grasped by the hand of; thebperatori and whereof a lower. edge may be; struck against, atable top or other solid wall to, produce, an fopeningf at the top. oft-he package through which the contents may be, poured;

-ernb miment of my invent-ion, I shall describe, in conj, be far more convenient for the user'if they were provided with part may become displaced or lost" or fne'ction: with; the accompanying drawings, a specific embodirnent of thesamm In the-drawings: Figure; l is an isometric ing bar disposed-on thev insidethereot, and in one corner" -th ame.

' 'gure 2, is a'fnagmentary; isometrieview' showing the pperend of the opening-"bar projected through a corner of the top wall to-forma pouring spout;

Figure, 3. is a vertical plan; view looking at thew-upper end at the opening bar shown in Figuresl and 2;

f j Figure14. is a. side view of an opening bar and pouring spout membersuch: as is shown in, Figures 1, 2 and-3;

Figure 5 .is a fragmentary sidefelevational view ofi a to y i the inside: thereof;-

Theiupper end ofthe bar adjacent top wall constitut'es means to cut or'producean opening in said top wall, and is adapted to cut-or produce said opening when top wall and said bar. is thrust upwardly relative to the a thin walled box suitable to be graspedfby a. single band of'the user so that it may be grasped and struck against a table top 'or any like flat'or convex surface to perform 5... indottedline; the operation of driving the opening bar up through the top wall to the extent of producing an opening therein,

to produce the opening in said. top -wall., By striking the edge of the-bottom wall which is in register .With'the modification of the'same; Eiguref6 is,:an -isometr1 ing a cylindrical can having an opening bar disposed on c view of a containercompris- Figure'l is .af-ragmentary plan view Of,'tl1 container showing the disposition otthe opening: bar of arcuate cross section adjacent .the concaved inner walls; of the can Withthe-lower end. ofthebar sitting in agroove in. t therlower end, of the can; I

,igure 8 is' an, end View; and 1 figure, 9tis a sideview oi an opening bar suitable for theropeningof a can asillustratedjn Figures-6 and 7.;

Figure 10 showstheiorm, of, opening bar. foruse in 'the' containertasillustrated.in. Figures 6- and 7s; 5

Figure 1.1. is aside, elevational view of anotherformof openingbar and pouring spout, .thescontainer being shown Figure .is ,a top planview'oi a rectangular container with thejo'peningbar projecting through. the corner of the top wall; 3

Figure 13) is, a perspective view oftheparts shown in a Figure v12; 7

vFigure 1 4.is,an.isometr1c view of the-.topcf the opening opening bar against the table topQsaid edge is carried upward relative to the remainder of the package, and a I movement of the bar relative to thetopv and adjacent v sidewall. is produced.

-Where the package is rectangular, the opening is preferably disposed in a corner of the sidewalls where it tends to be retained by the contents of the box. A bar:-

, Figure 16 isiatopplan view;

.Eigurer17 is afside:el'evational view of a barjand pouring spout. element shown in Figures 11., 12

Figura 18 is asideelevational view and Figure 19, 21 topvplan view of amodified-forrnof pouring FigureZOisan isometric view;

Patented Nov. 3,1959

, Now in order to acquaint those skilled in the art; with "the manner; ofconstructing andoperating the preferred view ofa package comprising a rectangular cardboard box container having an" open 30.

modifiedioim There are numerous materials which are packaged in closed containers.

or kitchen use.

Many of them are adapted for home considerable weight and of such fineness of grain or subdivision, such as granular,- crystalline, pulverulent or even .liquid. as to require the container to be sealed. The 1 container generallydoesnot need to be rigid, or it does not need to be rigid throughout, but mustbe tight enough to avoid escape of thecontentsand strong enough to hold itsshape The housewife frequently finds it difiicult toopen such a package without going to the trouble of hunting up a knife or some other means forv cutting or breaking the container. Examples of materials in such packages are powders, such as detergent powders, soap powders, starch, sugar, salt and the like. Numerous examples of liquids contained in cans present the same difiiculty. Paper milk cartons, aluminum biscuit cartons and the like are further examples. Also cans of lubricating oil and the like are suitable subjects for the application of the present invention.

In Figure 1, I have shown in isometric View a rectangular package of starch, which is a finely divided powder normally capable of pouring out through a relatively small opening. The rectangular container 1 is sealed up tight, so that the contents will not escape in the shipment and handling of the package. The walls of the container 1 are made of cardboard suitably folded and sealed with of stiif sheet material such as sheet metal, paper board,

plastic or the like, formed in cross section like an angle bar with two legs of the angle at approximately 90 to each other was to fit into the corner, either throughout the entire length of the bar or throughout the upper portion thereof. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the upper end of the bar 2 is provided with wider portions or wings 33 extending beyond the edges of the legs of the angle bar. These wings are bent to slightly more than a 90 I angle relative to each other, so that when the bar 2 is thrust up through the top wall, as shown in Figure 2, these wings 3, 3 may overhang the upper edge of the sidewalls 4 and 5. The box 1 is preferably made of cardboard of suitable weight and strength to hold the con Frequently, they are materialshaving 1 bottom wall at the, corner.

as to form a point or peak at the very corner of the bar 2. This is shown at the edge 7a of Figure 5. By thus forming the cutting edge in the shape of a diagonally disposed knife on each limb of the angle, the severing of the flap 10 from the side walls 4 and 5 at the upper corner is facilitated, since the point or peak at the corner will first break through the top wall 6, and then will progressively shear the edges on each wall 4 and 5 as the bar 2 progresses upwardly relatively to said side walls and top wall. The combined opening bar and pouring spout may be made in a variety of forms. The particular advantage of the angle bar shape, aside from its simplicity, is that it nests well in the cornerof a cardboard or similar rectangular box, and will be held in that position by the fiowable contents of the box. If desired, the main stem part of the bar2 may be compact and rodlike, while the upper part is channel-shaped, as will be explained more fully in connection with Figure 20. The function of puncturing the top wall to produce an opening and the function of guiding the material as it is poured out by means of a part constructed or organized to perform as a pouring spout are embodied in the same article. 30'

full lines with the adjacent parts of the box or container 1 shown in dotted lines. The main shaft or shank of the Figure 11' shows an opening'bar and spout member in bar 2a may be angular in cross section, like an angle bar, i.e., with two legs of the angle at 90 to each other. The lower end may be flanged at right angles to the longitudinal axis to increase the stiffness thereof and to present a greater area for the application of pressure to the bar, or it may be merely cut off square to rest against the The extended wing portions 3a have upper edges 7b extending diagonally upward towards the corner of the bar so as to form a more or less spearlike cutting edge which cuts or tears the extreme corner first, and then progressively parts the same from the sidewalls to form the triangular flap 10 shown in dotted lines in Figure 11, and shown in full lines in Figures 12 and 13. The wings or extensions 3a preftents in desired generally rectangular form. The bar'2 must be strong enough that when it is thrust upwardly, it'will cut or tear the edges of the top wall 6 from the adjacent side walls 4 and 5 and thrust itself upwardly through the top wall into the position shown in Figure 2. This movement of the bar 2 relative to the Walls of the container 1 may be produced by pressure applied to the.

1 bar 2 as indicated at 8 in Figure 1 upon a firm support such as a table top 9. In this operation, the weight of erably lie in the plane of the angular legs of the main body-of the bar 2a, although, as in the case of the form shown in Figures 1 to 4, a shoulder or projection like 12 in Figure 5 which may rest on the upper edge of the side walls of the box may be provided. In the present structure, the extensions or wings 3a have flange members 13, 13 folded in at a 45 angle to the wings or extensions 3a, 3a, and these flanges 13, 13 tend to hold the triangular flap 10 away from the opening. The flap 1 is bent up along the line 14. Thus with the combined the contents of the container assist in crumpling the i corner and thrusting the bar 2 upwardly out of the con-.-

tainer, tearing away a cornered flap 10, which readily said spout portion at the top of the bar. Instead of having the wings themselvesoverhang the side walls 4, 5,

opening bar and pouring spout disposed wholly inside the 7 grasps the box or container and strikes the lower corner in register with the lower end of the bar 2a, against a solid support. This crumples up or folds upwardly the walls of the corner of the box, as previously explained in connection with Figure 2, whereby the spearlike upper end of the bar 2a and spout portion 3a is driven upwardly through the corner 'of the box folding back the flap 10. If the operator wishes to do so, he may pull the pouring spout farther out, as by inserting the finger in the pouring spout and engaging the flanges 13, 13 and pulling on the same to extend the spout outwardly. In such an operation of driving the opening bar through the top Wall, the weight of the'contents of the box plays a significant part in that the contents have inertia and will tend to drive down the bottom wall and pull the at tached side walls downwardly, eventhough the. corner is crumpled orfolded as indicated at 8 Figure 2;. If the operator wishes to reclose the box, theopening bar may be pushed part way or all the way back intolthe container and the flap l0 folded down into. closed po'sition. The pouring .spoutmay be forceddown on1y .f ar

' agat tla into place to. reclose the package. It-may again be iopjene'd asaboue explained by the operator striking the enough to bring the flanges 1 3, 13. outof the way, and

then the triangular flap l d may pushed intothe' corner of the pouring spout, and it. will be, held there,

fairly. firmly by friction of thesaid with'the inner surface of the pouring spout.; It may be driven out again by hitting the corner of the box against the table top, as shown in Figure 1;

In Figures 6 to 1 0, I; have illustrated manner in '1 cylindrical can which the opening bar may be applied to, of circular cross sect-ion. in Figure he cylindrical" can of thin sheetmaterial' which maybe tin'plate, aluminum, cardboard, plastic or other material, .has a head or top'wall 1'6, cylindrical sidewalls fi aad a bottom wall 18 form a closed sealed liquid containing can. Ob-

viously, the contents of the can may be subdivided solid material. Within the can 15, there is disposed the opening bar 20 which, as] shown in Figures Sand 9, may be a strip of steel or -the like arcuate-in cross section and having a convex or pointed upper edge, as indicated at The lower end of the arcuate bar 20 may sitin an annular groove 23 formed as a head in the bottom wall 18. Alternatively, itmay sit flat on. the bottom; The top edge 22 may likewise be held in a groove in the upper head or wall of the can if so desired. Alternatively, the bar 20 maybe disposed against the side wall and held there temporarily by a drop of adhesive which is not affected by the contents of the can. i 1

' The upper end of the bar 20a, as indicated in Figures 7 and 10, may be curved more sharply, both to reduce thesize' of the opening circumferentially and to form a greater depth of pouring spout or channel. This may .be v

done by bending toward each other the upper corners 24 of the said bar 20a to produce less width and greater depth of curvature of the said upper end, as will be seen corner-of the "package against the tabletop.

111 the formfIshown in Figures 20 and2'1, the wings 27a, 27a, instead of being folded into. a closed tubular member, are left as an openchannel-wjith the depth of the wallofthe wings Z'Za, 2 7a increasing away fromthe upper end, so that the spout portion, which is-formed by thesaidwings 27a, 2761, will tend .to wedge in thelopening c r u a s j q'tien. an b p ovided with de la'rged-footportion 30. Such abaris conveniently made of plastic material. The Walls of the foot and'of the. spout portion are shaped to fitconveniently into the corner of the box, or along the sidewalls of a can, shown j in Figure 6. p

A modification of the form of spout shown in Figures 20 and 21 is portrayed in Figure 22, where flanges 29 are formed on the edges of the wings 27b. The form of opening bar and spout shown in Figures 18 and 19 is a modification of that shown in Figure 20 to Y the extent that at the upperend of the bar, where thewing portions 27:1,27a form the pouring spout, the channel is enlarged as by expanding the said walls27a, 27:11 and producing the shoulder 31, which allows the outer' end of the spout .to overhangthe adjacent edges of the in Figure 7. When the bar is used as shown in Figure 6,

itsilower end may be flanged as at 32 to increase the area against which impact pressure is applied.

The can is opened asindicated in Figure 6 by the operator grasping the can and striking'a lower'corner at invention will occur to those skilledin the art. I do not the point where the lower end of the bar islocated. This location may be indicated on the outside of the can by a suitable indication.

and thereby force the opening barupwardly through the top wall adjacent the outer periphery ofthe top wall 16;

Again the contents of the can help to push inwardly or crumple the walls of the corner,

For various types of packages and various; contents of the same, different forms of the opening bar and spout may be employed. Thus, as shown in Figures 15, 16 and 17, an opening bar and spout member 25, has the main shank thereof formed as a substantially cylindrical.

or arcuate channel 26. At the upper end wings 27,

27, which form extensions of the channel shaped stern walls are curved into a conical spout. The upper edge of the said spout lies in a plane diagonal to the longitudinal axis, so that there is a diagonal cutting edge provided by said spout member. This spout may be disposed in the corner of a rectangular box with the "open side disposed towards the center of the box, so that the uppermost corner of the cutting edge falls closely within the corner of the box. Pressure upon the lower end of the stem 26 drives the diagonal cuttingedges up through the top wall adjacent the corner and produces an'opening through which the spout projects. The spout may be pulled out by the operator as by inserting finger in the spout opening. So long as the box has contents which hold the bar. in position, the spout may be pushed back into place andthe flap which is cut loose by the operation of thediagonal edges may be pushed back openingof the box at saidcorner.

, wall through which the device has cut the opening. This form is'shown as employing a channel shaped stem 25c. Obviously, a solid rod-like stem may be employed in any of the foregoing forms. Also the provision of a foot at the lower end may be made.

In any of the forms shown, the upper edge of the bar may be sharpened or otherwise shaped to facilitate cutting through the top wall to provide an opening. n v

1 Numerous modifications and diverse applications of the intend therefore to be limited to the precise details shown and described herein, but intend the claims to be con-' strued as broadly as is consistent with the position of the invention relative to the priorart. I

I claim:

1'. The combination with a cardboard box having sidewalls forming an outwardly projecting cornerandhaving top and bottom walls joining the sidewalls at' said corner,

a stiff bar disposed with its length parallel to said sidewalls and lying in said corner substantially in contact with the adjacent sidewalls and extending substantially from said, top wall to. said bottom wall at substantiallyright angles to said top andbottom walls, the end of saidbar adjacent said top wall constituting means to produce an opening in said top wall whereby striking the bottom wall of said box at said corner against a solid wall will crumple 'the sidewalls at said corner and drive the bar longitudinally of the sidewalls to separate a portion of the top wall from the sidewalls at said corner to produce an 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the upper end of the bar constitutes a concave pouring spout. 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the box contains a filling of loose particulate material whereby upward motion of the bar relative to the side walls may be produced by striking the bottom of the corner of the box in which the bar is disposed against a firm fiat object such as a table top.

4. A closed package of pourable material comprising top and bottom walls and a side wall joined to said top and bottom walls, said bottom and side walls being made of flexible material, an opening bar in said package said bar being disposed along its length substantially in contact with'said vertical sidewall and at right angles to said top and bottom wall and having its ends substantially engaging said top and bottom walls, the upper end of the bar constituting means adapted to be thrust through the top wall adjacent a sidewall to produce an opening, the lower 'end of the bar being disposed adjacent the junction of the bottom wall and said side wall, the package with its contents when struck against a flat surface of a solid causing the side walls at said junction to be crumpled and "the opening bar to be thrust through the top wall to produce an opening therein.

" 5.' The package of claim 4 characterized by the upper end ofthe bar being shaped like an angle bar in cross section.

6. The package of claim 4 characterized by four side walls at substantially right anglesto each other forming four corners said opening bar being an angle bar nested to pull the bar outwardly.

a 8 in a vertical corner of the container and held laterally in said corner by'the contents of the package and said bar being trough-shaped at'its upper end to form a pouring spout.

'7 .,The package of claiin 4 characterized by four side Wt/2 118 at substantially right angles to each other forming four-corners and wherein the bar lies in one of said corners and is trough-shaped at its upper end to form a pouring spout said pouring Vspout constituting a finger hold into which the finger of the operator may be inserted References Cited in the file of this patent UNIIEDQSTATES PATENTS S chickel Dec. 8, 1936 I FOREIGN PATENTS 1 897,677 Germany Nov. 23, 1953 

